


darling believe me

by la_dissonance



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II
Genre: Fix-It, Gen, Gen or Pre-Slash, Hurt/Comfort, Nonbinary Character, Other, offscreen abuse mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-23
Updated: 2015-08-23
Packaged: 2018-04-16 17:44:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4634406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/la_dissonance/pseuds/la_dissonance
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hawke gives Anders the key to their house a bit earlier in the game. Feelings happen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	darling believe me

**Author's Note:**

> Hawke waiting until forever to give Anders the key to his house has always rubbed me the wrong way; then on the train I was ruminating on that and bubonickitten's stellar & absolutely heartbreaking [post](http://bubonickitten.tumblr.com/post/115361327303/i-just-cant-get-around-anders-and-justice) on Anders' lack of a support system throughout the whole game and this is what came out /o/
> 
> Title is from Florence + The Machine's Remain Nameless.

Hawke goes to see Anders at the clinic the day after they return from the deep roads. 

"Maker, I've missed you," Hawke says. "How have you been?"

"Keeping busy." Ander gestures vaguely. "Traffic at the clinic has been picking up; I think it may be time to pay another visit to the Bone Pit and check their safety equipment. For all his talk, that foreman still seems to view Fereldans as a cheap source of expendable labor."

Hawke frowns. "That bastard. To think I actually believed him when he said he'd improve the workers' plight after we took care of that dragon for him. I'll take Aveline and Varric and head over at first light tomorrow. Do you want to come along, or will you be working here?"

"I'll come," Ander says. "If the workers that made it back were in as poor shape as they were, I'd hate to see the ones who couldn't get away. They'll need my help."

Hawke nods. They feel at a loss. Leave for a couple weeks on a frivolous expedition to secure fame and fortune, then come back and everything's gone to shit. Bethany will have spent her first night in the Gallows by now, and Hawke has no idea when they'll get to talk to her next.

Anders shakes them out of their thoughts with a gentle hand on their arm. Hawke clasps it, gratefully.

"What about you, though? Were the deep roads everything you expected?"

Hawke chuckles humorlessly. "There were certainly enough darkspawn, if that's what you mean. And we all survived. The rest of the story is Varric's tale to tell, I'll let him catch you up in the morning."

Anders smiles, and Hawke feels their own face softening in return. After everything that's happened, it's good to be back.

"How's Justice?" Hawke asks after a moment. "And what about _you_ , Anders, never mind the clinic — have you been well?"

"Justice...well. Would you believe this is the first time anyone's asked after Justice? Without making it into a joke?"

Hawke sighs. "Knowing what clods our friends are, I believe it." They make a mental note to have a Talk with the others the next time they see them, because really.

"He's been...better," Anders says, considering. "It seems like it's been easier for him to let me sleep, lately, and it may be my imagination, but I think I'm getting more from him than I used to. Just impressions, an emotion here or there — nothing like the conversations we used to have, but it's more than what we had at first."

"That's wonderful," Hawke says, warmly. They can remember the knife's edge Anders seemed to be walking with Justice when they first met, and can only imagine how much worse it must have been for Justice and Anders to to live together when they first merged. "And you?"

Anders looks away. "Oh, you know. Same old. There...there was a mage we couldn't save a couple days ago. We had everything set up to get her out, but the templars caught wind of our plan at the last moment. We had to postpone indefinitely. By the time we get another chance, they might have already made her tranquil for 'conspiracy' or some trumped up fucking charge. It's getting worse."

If Anders were the kind of person to welcome spontaneous physical contact, Hawke would hug him so hard right now. Instead, they say, "I'm so sorry," as if that's adequte at all. Anders swallows and looks away. 

"I came here to bring you something, actually," Hawke says. "It's not much, but —" Hawke rummages through their armor's various pouches and pulls out a set of tarnished keys threaded onto a sky blue ribbon. They press it into Anders' hands. Anders looks at it curiously.

"I'm going to buy the old Amell estate," Hawke explains. "There's a passage leading from Darktown into the estate's basements; the entrance is just around the corner from here. The larger key opens the trap door to the passage, and the smaller one lets you into the estate from the basements."

"Hawke," Anders says, doubtfully, but Hawke continues.

"It'll be a couple of weeks before all the paperwork goes through and I drive out the last of the slavers. But I brought back enough gold from the deep roads to own it fair and square, so. Why wait to give this to you?"

"Hawke, I can't take this," Anders says.

"Please," Hawke says. "You won't be able to use it right away, but I'll let you know as soon as it's safe, and then please. Use it anytime you need to, for anything you need." 

Anders chews on his lip. "You can't mean _anything_."

"Anything at all — come over and visit my dog, or hide from templars, or sleep in the guest room, or use the cellar as overflow space for the clinic — whatever you need, Anders, or else it's just going to go to waste."

Anders finally lets his hand close around the keys and, after a moment, slips them into the breast pocket of his jacket. "Thank you, Hawke. I could never hope to repay you for this."

"There's no need. You helped us get into the deep roads. If anything, I'm still in your debt."

When Anders still looks skeptical, Hawke says simply, "You're my friend, Anders. I like to do nice things for my friends."

Anders opens his mouth, like he wants to keep arguing, but then just smiles ever so slightly and pats his pocket. "Well, I have them now. Let me know when the slavers are gone, and well — it'll be good to have, just in case."

"Good. I'll let you get back to your work," Hawke says, gesturing at the clinic. They turn to leave, then turn back, hesitant. "Anders, you can say no, I won't take it the wrong way — but can I give you a hug?"

"Yes," Anders says emphatically, and all but collapses into Hawke's arms. Hawke wraps him up in the biggest bear hug they can manage, tucks their chin over his shoulder, and hangs on tight.

**Author's Note:**

> I am casually looking for a beta in DA fandom! [Message me](http://bitterchord.tumblr.com/ask)? :D


End file.
